Yesterday evening [Thursday, March 24] WE-tv premiered its new unscripted and powerful docu-series, Sisters In Law.
The show captures the legal worlds of six female attorneys of African-American descent based in Houston, Texas. Jolanda Jones, Vivian King, Rhonda Wills, Juanita Jackson, Monique Sparks and Tiye Foley allow the cameras to shed light on the variety of criminal and civil cases they are regularly faced with. As a show that provides female lawyers with a platform to voice the pros and cons on a number of profound issues, each woman presents her own unique stance and beliefs regarding the justice system, political affiliation, the Black Lives Matter movement, the death of Sandra Bland, the evolution and role of the Black woman in her community, racism, and a host of other topics of debate that are sure to stir up chatter in the quietest of settings.
The network kicked off the viewing of the docu-series this past Wednesday at the Museum of Art and Design in the heart of New York City. A swanky cocktail reception prior to an exclusive viewing of the season premiere was graced by the presence of Elle Varner, Yandy Smith and Naturi Naughton, along with various entertainment tastemakers and industry executives. Following the reception, guests were guided to the museum’s theater. Seating more than 140 people, viewers had the opportunity to enjoy episode one, which was followed by an in-depth question and answer session that allowed the cast-members to further vocalize their experiences and legal travels.
If you had the opportunity to enjoy the television premiere, it’s no secret the elite attorneys will stop at nothing to achieve greatness professionally and personally. Despite being connected over several years through friendship or the law, their respect for one another does not prevent them from doing whatever it takes to win a case or provide zealous representation for their clients.
While the group may bump heads at times, an issue that hits home for each of the cast members is the journey a female attorney must travel in a playing field that is dominated by male attorneys. Furthermore, to be a female Black attorney ups the ante and leaves no room for error which can make or break any attorney in the pool of legal sharks. This is highlighted from the outset with a statistic that points out that 66 percent of the lawyers in Texas are men and 82 percent of them are white, presenting a healthy disproportion of ethnic representation within the judicial system of the Lone Star state.
As the show develops, it will become further apparent this type of programming is not your typical female-shading and drink-hurling contest. It is a series that highlights female attorneys of color at their finest hour as they continue their quest to uphold the law.
